Most Popular Books by STEVE TURNER

Johnny Cash is one of the most influential figures in music and American popular culture today. While he was an icon to people of all ages during his life, Cash''s legacy continues after his death. His remarkable story is captured in this exclusive authorized biography, addressing the whole life of Johnny Cash-not just his unforgettable music but also his relationship with June Carter Cash and his faith in Christ. His authenticity, love for God and family, and unassuming persona are what Steve Turner captures with passion and focus in this inspiring book. Different from other books written about him, The Man Called CASH brings Cash''s faith and love for God into the foreground and tells the story of a man redeemed, without watering-down or sugar-coating. The Man Called CASH will be a huge success with his millions of fans and will draw in many new fans with this inspiring story of faith and redemption.

The movies, the documentaries, the museum exhibits. They often tell the same story about the "unsinkable" Titanic, her wealthy passengers, the families torn apart, and the unthinkable end. But never before has "that glorious band," the group of eight musicians who played on as the Titanic slipped deeper and deeper into the Atlantic Ocean, been explored in such depth--until now. Join renowned biographer Steve Turner as he shares an extraordinary portrait of eight men who were thrown together on a maiden voyage, never having played together as a band, and whose names will be forever linked because of an extraordinary act of courage in the face of death. In The Band that Played On, Turner asks and answers key questions, including: How did the faith of the band members allow them to react with grace under pressure? Why does the story of the Titanic continue to fascinate? How does the legacy of that glorious band live on today? Praise for The Band that Played On: " The Band that Played On is, surprisingly, the first book since the great ship went down to examine the lives of the eight musicians who were employed by the Titanic. What these men did--standing calmly on deck playing throughout the disaster--achieved global recognition. But their individual stories, until now, have been largely unknown. What Turner has uncovered is a narrow but unique slice of history--one more chapter of compelling Titanic lore." --Marjorie Kehe, Book Editor, Christian Science Monitor

Behind our most beloved hymn is a fascinating story spanning continents, cultures, and centuries. Inspired by the way "Amazing Grace" continues to change and grow in popularity, acclaimed music writer Steve Turner embarks on a journey to trace the life of the hymn, from Olney, England, where it was written by former slave trader John Newton, to tiny Plantain Island off the coast of Africa, where Newton was held captive for almost a year, to the Kentucky-Tennessee border and other parts of the South, where the hymn first began to spread. Newton had been rescued from Africa by a merchant ship when, during an eleven-hour storm on the Atlantic, he converted to Christianity. Years later, as a minister, he wrote the hymn for use among his congregation. Through the nineteenth century, "Amazing Grace" appeared in more and more hymn books, and in the twentieth century it rose to a gospel and folk standard before exploding into pop music. It has been recorded by artists as varied as Elvis Presley, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Tiny Tim, Al Green, Johnny Cash, Rod Stewart, Chet Baker, and Destiny''s Child. Amazing Grace closely examines this modern history of the hymn through personal interviews with recording artists. From John Newton''s incredible life story to the hymn''s role in American spirituality and culture, Amazing Grace is an illuminating, thorough, and unprecedented musical history.

A riveting look at the transformative year in the lives and careers of the legendary group whose groundbreaking legacy would forever change music and popular culture. They started off as hysteria-inducing pop stars playing to audiences of screaming teenage fans and ended up as musical sages considered responsible for ushering in a new era. The year that changed everything for the Beatles was 1966—the year of their last concert and their first album, Revolver, that was created to be listened to rather than performed. This was the year the Beatles risked their popularity by retiring from live performances, recording songs that explored alternative states of consciousness, experimenting with avant-garde ideas, and speaking their minds on issues of politics, war, and religion. It was the year their records were burned in America after John''s explosive claim that the group was "more popular than Jesus," the year they were hounded out of the Philippines for "snubbing" its First Lady, the year John met Yoko Ono, and the year Paul conceived the idea for Sgt. Pepper''s Lonely Hearts Club Band. On the fiftieth anniversary of this seminal year, music journalist and Beatles expert Steve Turner slows down the action to investigate in detail the enormous changes that took place in the Beatles'' lives and work during 1966. He looks at the historical events that had an impact on the group, the music they made that in turn profoundly affected the culture around them, and the vision that allowed four young men from Liverpool to transform popular music and serve as pioneers for artists from Coldplay to David Bowie, Jay-Z to U2. By talking to those close to the group and by drawing on his past interviews with key figures such as George Martin, Timothy Leary, and Ravi Shankar—and the Beatles themselves—Turner gives us the compelling, definitive account of the twelve months that contained everything the Beatles had been and anticipated everything they would still become.

Drawing on his storied career as a pop-culture wallflower, Steve Turner provides an all-access pass to the pervasive cultures of style, media and celebrity. Passing on his uniquely Christian way of viewing these cultures, Turner opens our eyes to a world of ideas lying just beneath the hype.

The spiritual journey of the Beatles from fun-loving agnostics to drug-inspired mystics.

Did you know? 36% of Bob Dylan''s songs published between 1961 and 1968 had biblical references, including his 1964 hit "The Times They Are A-Changin.''" The book of Ecclesiastes has been a great inspiration on popular music including the song "Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Birds, the Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon, and "Desperado," the 1973 hit by The Eagles, among others. Paul Simon once advised a young prospective lyricist to raid the Bible for memorable phrases. "Just steal them," he said, "That''s what they''re there for." There''s no question that Scripture has influenced music since the first ever song was penned. In Turn! Turn! Turn! author and music connoisseur, Steve Turner, takes an in-depth look at the lyrics and cultural context of 100 of the greatest songs from the 1930s to today to reveal an often overlooked or ignored strand of influence in popular music -- the Bible. Indeed, some of the "greats" -- including Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Bono, Johnny Cash, Sting, and others -- have repeatedly returned to the Bible for such sustenance, as well as musical inspiration and a framework with which they can better understand themselves. "I hope the book prompts, provokes, and intrigues as it reveals this often-hidden history," writes Steve Turner. You''ll never listen to your favorite song or popular tune the same way again after discovering how the Bible has influenced music.

Steve Turner shows that if Jesus is Lord of all of life and creation, then art is not out of bounds for Christians. Rather it can and should be a way of creatively expressing faith.

Introduced in 1979, the Fox chassis Mustang and the new Fox-4 have become some of the most popular Mustangs ever built. The significant showroom success of these models is reflected in the automotive specialists cater to the 5.0 crowd. Thorough and straightforward explanations combine with 300 no-nonsense black-and-white photographs to guide the reader through absolutely every aspect of 5.0 Mustang performance modifications.

Adams County, Washington, is home to farmlands on the Columbia Plateau that produce more crops than might be expected of its semiarid soils. But while unique in its geography and history, it also faces many of the problems confronting farmers throughout rural America. Seasoned journalist Steve Turner, having spent time in Adams County as a young harvest hand, returned to the region to portray farm life and history in a land where change is a subtle but powerful constant. Amber Waves and Undertow interweaves family narratives, historical episodes, and Turner’s own experiences to illuminate the transformation of rural America from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century. Whether distilling the lore of wheat and potato agriculture or describing action at a combine demolition derby, Turner celebrates both the usual and the unusual among the local residents. He blends stories of pioneer settlers with vignettes of present-day life, introducing readers to the characters—the hardworking and the eccentric, the old-timers and the Latino newcomers—who populate this corner of America. In the mode of John McPhee and Wendell Berry, Turner’s lyrical prose conveys his affection for both the land and its inhabitants. Amber Waves and Undertow is a thoughtful depiction of an exceptional place that puts the difficulties of individual farmers in national and global contexts, showing us that only by understanding the past of rural America can we confront its future challenges.

In The Complete Beatles Songs, Steve Turner shatters many well-worn myths and adds a new dimension to the Fab Four''s rich legacy. This beautifully packaged book examines every Beatles-penned song and the inspiration behind them all; with fresh research and packed with new information, there are revelations aplenty. The book covers the Fab Four''s entire output chapter by chapter and includes a complete set of printed lyrics to accompany each song, used with exclusive permission from the band''s music publishers. Who was ''just seventeen'' and made Paul''s heart go ''boom''? Who was ''Lady Madonna''? Was there really an Eleanor Rigby? What inspired ''Happiness is a Warm Gun''? Why was Paul the ''walrus'' and what inspired the lyrics to Ringo''s ''Octopus''s Garden''?

Have you ever been punched by a cabbage or fallen head first down the loo? Have you ever had fun with a poem? You haven''t? Then this book''s for you. Whacky poems that take a roller-coaster ride from the crazy corners of dreams to the big questions of life. This collection of over seventy poems for children by Steve Turner is regularly in the best-seller lists. Full of wit and fun, his thought-provoking poetry has been used by teachers in classrooms and entertained children at home over the years. These poems make an instant impact, as the themes and ideas in them offer lots of food for thought for young minds.